UNICEF Opens Office In PH

The Rivers State Govern
ment has assured the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of its  support and cooperation in improving the lives of women and children  in the state.
This is even as  UNICEF has  opened  its operational office in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The state Commissioner for Budget  and Economic Planning, Hon. Isaac  Kamalu, who gave  the assurance during  a courtesy  visit to his office  in Port Harcourt by a UNICEF team indicated  that the  state government would not  be tired of standing by the  agency and support it to implement  its goals  and programmes.
He said that the Governor of the State, Chief  Nyesom Wike was totally committed to ensuring the success of the agency, adding  that the governor had already directed  that  UNICEF’s  counterpart  funding  be released for  the implementation of its  Niger Delta programmes.
While thanking UNICEF for opening  an office in Port Harcourt, Hon. Kamalu  lauded the agency for partnering  with the state government to improve the wellbeing of Rivers people, saying, “when  you come in this manner, and you give  some support, you are not only standing by government, you are standing  by the people.”
Earlier, UNICEF’s  Chief of the Port Harcourt Field  Office, Mr. Wilbroad  Ngambi thanked  the commissioner  for  facilitating the courtesy  visit, and explained that the  Port Harcourt office  of the agency  would  coordinate its  operations in Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta States.
According to him, the opening of the Port Harcourt office was intended to help actualise the overall goal of the current Country Programme  of Cooperation (2014-2017) and improve the lives of women and children in the areas of health, nutrition, hygiene, water and sanitation.
On his part, the UNICEF’s Chief of Enugu Field Office, Mr. Charles Nzuki thanked the Rivers State Ministry of Budget  and Economic Planning for the effective  coordination of the agency’s programmes.
On the UNICEF team was the field officer in charge of Media and External Affairs, Mrs Ijeoma E. Ogwe.

Donatus Ebi